Meanwhile
by Kazahana Fujikaze
Summary: While Syaoran and company traverse dimensions, what's happening to everyone else? A series of shorts based on splash pages featuring characters not in the current story arc.
1. The Sword of Flame

**40: The Sword of Flame **

_Capturing a connection to everyone's idol. A portable disguise? Putting up with spies!_

* * *

'Wow... they are just great at hiding', Shogo thought sarcastically, 'It's a wonder why I haven't asked them to also to be spies!'

A brick wall cloth, peeking out of the sewer, one even brought a camera. The Goggles Gang was obviously very devoted to their leader. Even the new one, Masayoshi-kun.

So devoted that they decided to make sure every moment of their leader's first date with Hanshin's most popular pop idol was memorable and went without any trouble.

"Oh, Primera-chan! She's looks happy... Primera-chan is the greatest!" sniffed two people similtaneously.

"Shogo-san is so cool..." sniffed Masayoshi.

Was one of them weeping? And were those two of Primera's fans?

"Shogo-kun! What should we do now?"

"Huh?" Shogo said absently, "Why don't you think of something?"

Primera continued to babble on about all the nice things they could do on their date while he continued to... not pay attention.

"Hey, you guys want an apple?"

"Wah! What are you doing here?"

"Oooh, I want one, I'm hungry..."

The grocer was here too? This was too much...

"Hey, man, how do you balance an apple on your head like that?"

"Ow... stop it! If Shogo-san finds out we're spying on him, he'll get really mad!"

'Too late,' Shogo thought.

"Shogo-kun!"

"Eh? What?"

Primera grabbed his arm as he glanced at the poorly hidden Goggles Gang out of the corner of his eye.

"I want to see a movie!"

"Eh? Oh, sure... why not?"

"They make a great couple, don't you think?"

"Of course! Shogo-san is the coolest guy in Hanshin!"

Well, maybe he could forgive them this time.

* * *

Author: Chapter 40's tag line is the only one I translated myself, so it may not be accurate. If you know what it's supposed to be, feel free to tell me. (Polite) reviews are welcome.


	2. The Two Princesses

**28: The Two Princesses**

_"In a deep slumber, what does the King dream of?"_

* * *

The water rising around him became fragments of ice, freezing his crystal staff and everything else around him. Upon one's first glance, the inclination was to believe he was breaking free. 

Soon he'll be encased in ice, submerged under a swirling watery oblivion. He will be condemned to sleep, a cold existence. So this is how the mage decides to end it.

"But I won't rest, Fai D. Flowright."

The mage knows this. The melancholy look on his face says it all. Soon he will flee, to get away from him. It does not matter.

He changes that strange girl, the one who is always in his company, such that she will be a seal, a safeguard. Even though the mage knows she will be nothing more than an alarm. One that will tell him that he has truly awakened rather than just an omnipresent and disconcerting feeling...

"You know I will be watching, even though it seems like I am not."

Watching in dreams. The mage wishes that he'll have good dreams. King Ashura knows better. He closed his eyes and began to wait, wait until he would awaken.

* * *

Author: The titles (and chapter numbers) of these shorts are from the splash page its based on. The line in italics was the tag-line on the page. 


	3. The Strongest Demon

**44: The Strongest Demon**

_"She wants to become stronger. Stronger than the person she loves! Chun'yan, in a country fighting hard with the Secret Arts."_

* * *

The Kiishim was greatly amused. This young girl was showing promise. If she continued on this road, she would be at least as great as her mother, if not better. What she had done with that mirror was impressive. Today, she was trying her luck at summoning with a fan.

"I don't get it!"

She was obviously frustrated. The Kiishim smiled, lounging on her tree branch, invisible to the girl. Getting annoyed only breaks your concentration, child. She gave the girl points for perseverance though.

"Calm down…" the Kiishum remarked.

As though hearing her, the girl closed her eyes. And then…

"Nice to meet you, mistress!"

"I summoned you!"

"Yes, mistress!"

"Mistress? My name is Chun'yan!"

"That's a nice name, Mistress Chun'yan!" the familiar said, "Spring Fragrance… your mother was very poetic."

"What are you?" Chun'yan was obviously annoyed.

"I am Hikaru, mistress!"

"That's not what I'm asking! And stop calling me mistress!"

"Of course, Miss Chun'yan!"

"Stop it, you tiny... thing!"

"It's Hikaru, Miss Chun'yan. I'm your familiar spirit, an angelic sprite, really!"

"It's just Chun'yan!"

The Kiishim was pleased, now watching Chun'yan and the fairy squabble. Yes, the girl had potential.

* * *

Author: In case anyone missed it, the little fairy on the splash page for this chapter looked suspiciously like Hikari, Misaki's angel from Angelic Layer.


	4. The Demon's True Form

**51. The Demon's True Form**

_"I will continue to pursue, The wish for Eternity, As long as it exists somewhere in this world..."_

* * *

Seishirou walked through a building so old and so quiet that he convinced that almost no one was here anymore.

"That's because they're all dead," he said outloud to himself.

He paused for a moment, fingering the odd medallion he wore on a long chain. Those twin vampires had given him the slip again and he had gone through such extreme measures to pursue them. Pursue them for eternity, he thought.

He was a persistent man; he knew exactly what he needed to do in order to find them. He didn't have the power of the moon, but he found the way to traverse dimensions. Only once? Well, that was enough. And a complicated spell? That wasn't unexpected. He knew exactly was he needed to do. There was one person who get him what he wanted.

"I'll grant your wish," she said somewhat coolly, "but at the right price."

The pain was nothing. After all, he didn't need that eye in another life, nor did he need it in this one. He pushed on his glasses and handed her his medallion.

"It's only enough to get you to a limited number of worlds and there's no guarantee you'll find what you're looking for."

She gave it back, infused with the power he needed. As he left her shop, he smiled.

"You are a troublesome man," she added.

"As long as eternity exists somewhere, I will continue to pursue it no matter the price that needs to be paid, Yuuko-san."

Pursuing those twins was more important than anything. Even though the Witch's spell was limited, the feather he obtained would be more than enough to supplement what he already had.

He recalled a stream of memories, full of irrelevant events... until he remembered was a kingdom in a desert and then a young boy with could not see in his right eye.

Seishirou uncrossed one of his arms and leaned on a nearby pillar, pushing on his glasses as he did. After that artificial world and making that deal with singer, he could sense that he was getting closer to them. But they would be stronger... though the one he wanted was now sleeping.

"I wonder what Syaoran-kun is doing?" he remarked offhandedly, "I suppose we'll meet again, but will it before I find you, Subaru-kun?"

**

* * *

**Author: Argh... Seishirou is only slightly easier to write for than say... Ashura or Chii. 


	5. Two Gods

**54: The Two Gods**

_"Sumomo's so happy! Is Kotoko upset? The two of them are having fun together!" _

* * *

'A complete idiot... I'm stuck with a complete idiot.'

Kotoko was obviously upset. This was that idiot's idea of fun?

"Let's have a tea party!" Sumomo shouted, "And have tons of fun!"

Kotoko's idea of fun would be not having fun with Sumomo. Unfortunately, the programmer thought it would be a fabulous idea putting them together in a very hard to reach tower. Sumomo was way too happy for her tastes.

"Ooooh... let's invite kitties!"

"Invite kitties?"

"Yay! That's a great idea, Kotoko!"

"Save me, now!"

The only players who even made it to the Tower of the Little People in the longest time were those Oni Hunters with the ridiculous names. She was trapped with only Sumomo for company. And a kitten licked her. Kotoko wanted to sob.

Concerning the matter of how Sumomo had managed to get kittens into the tower, she had found a shortcut out of the tower. The programmer had made it just for Kotoko and Sumomo could occasionally leave if they needed. But Sumomo thought it would be much more fun if Kotoko found it herself rather than telling. As often and as desperately she tried to find it, Kotoko had yet to find the secret passageway.

"Aren't you having fun, Kotoko?"

"Yes, a lot," she said sarcastically.

"Really, Kotoko?" Sumono asked, "That makes me so happy!"

She grabbed Kotoko's hands and swung her around the room. She suddenly let go and poor Kotoko was on the floor, on the stomach, with cheerful meowing kittens. Sumomo had moved onto dancing with a tambourine, jumping on nearby plush pillows.

Well, Kotoko admitted, at least things are never boring.

"Let's sing Purachina!"

Kotoko sighed. Things would never be quiet either.

* * *

Author: I love Kotoko; she is my favourite character in Chobits. Soul Lysythe Ice, I'm working my way up to the Grossam one, I promise.


	6. The Strongest Two

**61: The Strongest Two**

_"A pure and ephemeral girl with a secret nobody knows."_

**

* * *

**People said that she's charming, immaculate and fantastic, so mysterious. Chii did not really understand their compliments, but she always smiled and thanked them, just like Fai taught her to.

They say she is like a fairy who floats through the branches of trees, who seemingly causes feathery snowflakes to blossom in her wake. Snowflakes, like unique flowers that never blossom the same way twice, like the moon's unconstant face.

"Is Chii born of snowflakes?"

"Maybe," he said with a sad smile, "It's a secret."

Even when she asks the question, Chii already knows the answer to her question is no. She resembles someone close to his heart, but has long since been lost. It is only a matter of time before the truth behind her birth is no longer a secret. A secret does not become one until its existence is revealed, though the knowledge which it is comprise of does not.

But it still remains her wish to see his sad smile fade away. Even as she is transformed like ice into a drop of water, she keeps this wish a secret close to her heart.

**

* * *

**Author: This was really hard to write... who doesn't know how Chii was created yet?


	7. Men and Women

**56: Men and Women  
**_  
"The husband and wife make some takoyaki before the baseball game!" "Is this his 'picture of happiness'?"_

_**

* * *

**_"It's a good day for business, honey!"

"..."

"Can't you be a little more enthusiastic?" Sorata answered, "Of course, we're going to win today!"

"The Hanshin Tigers rarely win," Arashi said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Which will make it all the more exciting when it happens, honey!"

'And then the whole city will go crazy and jump in the river', she thought. 'How silly.'

But people do irrational things when happiest. A thought suddenly occured to her.

"Sorata, why do we need the hand puppets? Couldn't we use-"

He cut her off. "Honey! They're mascots for our takoyaki stand! What else can we use them for? After all, Syaoran-kun and the others aren't around anymore."

"You're a history teacher, you'll figure something out."

"Awww... my honey has such faith in me!"

He attempted to hug her, but she turned away and he fell over. As he got up and dusted himself off, she poked the stand's sign absently, recalling she had painted the words on for him because he was busy marking history essays... and his writing was messy.

_"What should I write?"  
"How about 'Sora-chan's Takoyaki'!" he suggested cheerfully.  
She had raised an eyebrow, but dutifully wrote them out with a paintbrush.  
_

Now she watched with uncertainty as he reached for the bottle of Tora Okonomiyaki Sauce to season tiger-striped golden takoyaki for eager customers wanting a snack before a baseball game.

"Arisugawa-sensei!"

Arashi watched two of his students run up and purchase a box.

"Is this your part-time job, Arisugawa-sensei?" one of the girls asked.

"Of course not! This is my picture of happiness!" he said cheerfully, waving his ridiculous handpuppet, "Making takoyaki with my beautiful wife!"

The girls giggled, though Arashi wasn't sure if it was because of him or because of his handpuppet.

"Thank you, Arisugawa-sensei!"

"Bye, girls! See you at the game!"

They ran off happily, while Arashi stared at them absently, a smile creeping onto her face. Is this is picture of happiness? Or may hers? Noticing the intense look on her face, he patted her head... with the handpuppet.

"Sorata? Why didn't you just bring ovenmitts?"she asked.

"Oh... I couldn't find them."

She might have been grateful to Yuuko-san and wouldn't trade anything in this life, but that didn't stop her from whacking Sorata with her constantly displeased looking handpuppet while wishing for some overmitts.

"Ow! Honey, the customers!"

* * *

Author: Now, all we need is a happy ending for Sorata and Arashi in X. (weeps in corner since it probably won't happen)


	8. Another Boy

**63: Another Boy**

_"He knew everything. He knew of her power and he knew of his pain."_

* * *

He could do nothing but see and hope. After all, the King knew his time was coming sooner than he had would have liked. It seemed to happen in every life, though this one was less taxing than his existence in another. But a price must be paid each time the future is changed, for each schism that exists whenever one series of events becomes diverted, thus determining a different series of events.

The King's thoughts were elsewhere. The young prince was fair and capable, though a little overprotective of his younger sister. The little one was sunny and bright, with a smile that would rival the warmth of a spring day.

Each time he used his magic, the same magic he used in every life, he saw things he could not affect.

He knew everything. He knew of her power and he knew of his pain.

His little one had a strange power even he could not explain, one that he knew he would come to understand only when it was too late, a power he would know yet never really know for himself. The little boy's pain was slowly healing, but those wounds would still hurt in the future. Wounds that would tear everything a sunder and would take much more than he would realize, her to realize, in order to heal.

This latest vision was no more comforting than the last. Yet as he stood on his magic circle, with the Moon Staff in hand, (odd, he realizes, he carries the complement, the Sun Staff, in a different existence) he knows that hope is not lost. The Dimension Witch still has faith (even if she scowls at him because he is too alike in all his existences).

"After all," he says more to himself than anyone, "we must believe in the future."

* * *


End file.
